... Oceanic malaise. I never saw anyone reading anything more demanding than a comic book. I never heard any youth express an interest in science or art. No one even talked politics. It was all idleness, and whenever I asked someone a question, no matter how simple, no matter how well the person spoke English, there was always a long pause before I got a reply, and I found these Pacific pauses maddening. And there was giggling but no humor - no wit. It was just foolery.

You must not judge people by their country. In South America, it is always wise to judge people by their altitude.

Writing is pretty crummy on the nerves.

Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.

One of the pleasures of reading is seeing this alteration on the pages, and the way, by reading it, you have made the book yours.

I don't want to be the honored guest. I want to be the invisible person.

What I find is that you can do almost anything or go almost anywhere, if you're not in a hurry.